In this week’s cover story in The Nation, Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill reports on how mercenaries from private security firms like Blackwater USA and BATS are patrolling the streets in New Orleans. [includes rush transcript]

We go to Louisiana to speak with Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill who has been in New Orleans this past week. He has been looking into how the city has changed to a militarized zone and what that means for the residents who left. [includes rush transcript]

In addition to the thousands of military troops patrolling the streets of New Orleans, there are also scores of private soldiers that are now spreading out across the city, like those from the Blackwater Security firm. Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill reports. [includes rush transcript]

A new PBS documentary titled "Private Warriors," raises questions about the accountability of the private companies working in Iraq and the Pentagon’s increasing reliance on them. We speak with the producer and correspondent, Martin Smith and Brookings Institution fellow, Peter Singer who is author of "Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry." [includes rush transcript]

On Wednesday, four U.S. contractors were brutally murdered in Fallujah. They all worked for a private military contractor firm called Blackwater, which has boasted that it wants to build the largest private army in the world. [includes rush transcript]